Minneapolis Central Library
🏢 Hennepin County Library · Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis Central Library
Designed by César Pelli and opened May 20, 2006, Minneapolis Central Library's 353,000-square-foot glass-atrium building on Nicollet Mall is the flagship of Hennepin County Library's 26-branch network — housing Minnesota's only Patent and Trademark Resource Center, a 15,000-album Vinyl Revival Listening Room, and the Best Buy Teen Tech Center for teens ages 12–19.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–8pm |
| Thursday | 9am–8pm |
| Friday | 9am–5pm |
| Saturday | 9am–5pm |
| Sunday | 12pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 543-8000
Website: hclib.org
Plus Code: 86P8XPJH+6X (Minneapolis, MN)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Minneapolis Central Library
Minneapolis Central Library stands at 300 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis as the flagship of Hennepin County Library's 26-branch system. The current building — a César Pelli and Fred W. Clarke design — opened May 20, 2006 across 353,000 square feet, featuring a soaring glass Commons atrium, an 18,560-square-foot green roof with drought-resistant plantings, and windows fritted with ceramic depictions of Minnesota's birch forests, prairie grasses, and lake reflections. The city's public library tradition dates to 1885, with a first dedicated building opening in 1889; voters approved $140 million in library funding in November 2000 to make the current building possible. The 2009 AIA/American Library Association Library Building Award recognized the design. In 2008 the Minneapolis Public Library merged with Hennepin County Library, unifying 26 branches into a single metropolitan system. Today Minneapolis Central holds the largest single-location collection in the system and makes nearly all items available on open shelves, up from just 15% in the prior 1961 building.
⭐ What makes this library special
- César Pelli–designed 353,000 sq ft building opened May 20, 2006; winner of the 2009 AIA/ALA Library Building Award
- James K. Hosmer Special Collections (4th floor): 400+ Mark Twain first editions, 1,000+ WWII propaganda posters, rare Minneapolis maps from the 1850s onward
- Minnesota's only USPTO-designated Patent and Trademark Resource Center — free patent search assistance on the 2nd floor
- Best Buy Teen Tech Center (ages 12–19): music & video production, 3D printing, robotics, and graphic design, Mon–Thu 3–8 PM school year
- Vinyl Revival Listening Room (3rd floor, N-301): 15,000+ LPs including the Matthew Marvel Dance Music Collection, reservable up to 2 hrs/day for ages 18+
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Hennepin County Library cardholders access statewide and national digital resources free of charge:
📚 Services
- James K. Hosmer Special Collections (4th floor, Mon–Thu 9 AM–4:30 PM; call 612-543-8200 for appointments)
- Patent and Trademark Resource Center (2nd floor) — Minnesota's only USPTO-designated PTRC; free search assistance for inventors and small businesses
- Best Buy Teen Tech Center — free creative tech workspace for ages 12–19 (Mon–Thu 3–8 PM during the school year)
- Vinyl Revival Listening Room (3rd floor, N-301) — turntable, headphone amp, 15,000+ albums; reservable up to 2 hrs/day for ages 18+
- Piano Room — soundproofed practice room, reservable for 1-hour sessions
- Cargill Gallery (2nd floor) — free rotating art exhibitions spotlighting local artists
- Assistive Technology Lab
- Teen Central — dedicated teen space
- Meeting rooms (reservable at hclib.libcal.com)
- Zine Collection (Minnesota makers)
- In-library Ancestry Library Edition access
- Children's Special Collections
- Language collections
- Genealogy and local history research assistance
🎸 Programs
- Vinyl Revival Events — monthly curated listening sessions open to all
- Best Buy Teen Tech Center Community Open Houses (3rd Thursday each month)
- Talk of the Stacks — author events (Friends of HCL)
- Patent and trademark educational programs for inventors and small businesses
- Summer learning programs (all ages)
- Genealogy and local history workshops
- Early learning programs and storytimes
- Arts and culture programs (Cargill Gallery openings)
📍 Nearby Libraries in Minneapolis
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Minneapolis · Browse all Minnesota libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed Minneapolis Central Library, and when did it open?
The current building was designed by César Pelli and Fred W. Clarke of Pelli Clarke & Partners and opened on May 20, 2006. The 353,000-square-foot structure on Nicollet Mall features a six-story glass atrium, an 18,560-square-foot green roof, and windows with ceramic fritting depicting Minnesota landscapes. It won the 2009 AIA/American Library Association Library Building Award.
Is Minneapolis Central Library the only place in Minnesota to get patent and trademark help?
Yes — the Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) on the second floor is Minnesota's only USPTO-designated PTRC. It offers free access to patent and trademark search tools and trained staff who provide one-on-one guidance and educational programs for inventors and small-business owners.
What is the Vinyl Revival Listening Room, and how do I use it?
The Vinyl Revival Listening Room (room N-301 on the 3rd floor) holds more than 15,000 LPs, including the Matthew Marvel Dance Music Collection of 5,000+ records. Patrons 18 and older can reserve the room — equipped with a turntable and headphone amplifier — for up to two hours per day at no charge.
What is the Best Buy Teen Tech Center at Minneapolis Central?
The Best Buy Teen Tech Center is a free creative technology workspace inside the library for teens ages 12–19. Members can record music, produce video, 3D-print objects, design graphics, and build robots. It operates Monday–Thursday 3–8 PM during the school year. Membership requires a signed agreement and parental permission; email bbttc@hclib.org for details.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.